Our Story

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Lyle Twin Bridges was formed in 2005 by a group of Lyle residents who had a
love for local history. It began in one room of a decommissioned school
building when Terry Mills the then board chair got permission from the school
district to use the room. The room was cleaned, painted and prepared to
house the many donations that started coming in from the community. One of
the prize pieces was a rolltop desk that had belonged to George Lyle, a
member of the founding family of Lyle. For seven years the little room housed
the museum. In 2012 the historical society was gifted the Methodist Church
building and the museum was moved into that new facility. The basement
houses the meeting room, storage, and office area. Upstairs is the display
gallery of which the board is so very proud of.

Over the years our board had grown to nine members, we have lost several of
our founding board to death and retirement but also gained new board
members who share their love of history and their own talents for display,
filing, sorting, fundraising, and all the other jobs required in a small
organization like this.

Each year we receive a small grant from the county which helps us acquire
needed archival supplies. We also have received one large budget
appropriation grant from the state that allowed us to bring the new building
up to museum standards with a new heating and cooling system, new
electrical and other needed upgrades.

The museum is open from June through September on Saturdays from noon to
5 pm. In the 2024 season we shared the history of our community with 135
visitors, both from outside of the area and local residents. The museum is
totally a volunteer organization and as such all the work is done by a group
that loves the community and its history.

 

Founding Board members were Terry Mills, Don Brashers; Darla Brashers, Joy Collins,
Mildred Lykens, and Barbara Sexton. Current board members are Terry Mills,
Barbara Sexton, Sandy Doolin, Janet Marx, Mike Vorce, Karen Beck, Linda
Sorensen and Brenda Sorensen.